The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-03-03
Our Rail Road.


Company, made arrangements with q
syndicate in London which negotia-
ted with q banking institution of that
city to take two-thirds of Ten million
first mortgage bonds of the Company,
and to place the remainder on the
market, which would insure the sale
of the Ten millions. This agreement
provided that the financial agent
should enter into contrsct with some
company or firm to complete the line
from Aiken. S. G.. to it's Kentucky
Terminus within three years, said
contract to be secured by good bond.
But when the attention of contractors
was called to the line, they found
that there was no continuous profile
Of the road giving sufficient data up
on which to base their calculations,
80 no one was found willing under
these circumstances to enter into the
agreement. Thus it is seen that the
success of the undertaking depends
upon our having a survey, and max
ing complete profile of the entire
line in order to show, as near as en-
gineering skill can, the amount Of
work to be done At n meeting of
the directors held in Abbeville the
10th of February, it was decided to
make an effort to do this work as
quickly as possible. It was resolved
that all the directors should unite in
one grand effort. and appeal to the
people along the entire line from
Charleston to Cincinnati to give their
aid. Ten thousand dollars will do
this work, and when done it will
prove to the world that this route
from the Atlantic to the great North
west is not only the most direct, but
also the cheapest and most feasible
of any road now in operation or that
may have been projected.
This line is made up by the consol-
idation Of six charters, one in Ken
lucky, two in Tennessee, one in North
Carolina and two in South Carolina.
The line as located in South Carolina
has now about fifty miles Of graded
road between Aiken and Pickcns, a
distance Of about 125 miles. Be
tween those points subscriptions in
bonds have been voted to the amount
Of $1l6,00O, cue "when the bell rings
and the whistle blows" in each place
voting the subscription. After lcav-
ing Pickens the line passes through
fine grain country to the foot of the
Blue Ridge Mountains which can be
crossed at the point propoaed with a
sixty feet grade. Beyond the ridge
1t ltpasses through the French Broad
Valley, one Of the most fertile sections
in the United States, ranging from
one to four miles in width nearly to
Asheville, N. G. The valleys of the
French Broad and Pigeon Rivers,
through which it passes, are heavily
timbered with black walnut, cherry.
ash, yellow poplar, white and yellow
pine.
1t runs directly across the splint
and camel coal fields of Southeastern
Kentucky. which are said by gcolo-
g1sts to be superior in quality, an far
more abundant than any other COZ:
fields in tho States. Adjacent TO
these folds are iron deposits many
miles IN extent, and often observed,
1t is said, at the very surface of the
ground. These continue at frequent
intervals, and in nearly every known
variety for the distance Of 100 miles
Almost the whole country from north
OF the Powell River to the Cumber-
land Gap, abounds with iron depos-
AV''. Ahis road IS also located across
tnet section from which the famous
tennessee marble is quarried, and
winch abounds in other valuable min
erals such as Zinc, copper, lead mica
asbestos &c.
With all these advantages of loca-
tion' and the time and treasure ol
ready oxpended-the latter amount
ing to nerr $2Oo,oOO-will our people
fold their arms and allow some other.
railroad company to usu,p their op
portunity, convert to it's own use our
hard earned advantages, and worst
OF all but not the least probable, divert
the line to suit itself We hope not.
This profle--something to show
The nYfnnt nf II 81